'It didn't matter what I said'; Naked Gold Bar gunman sentenced, victim outraged by outcome
GOLD BAR, Wash. - A man who held a grocery store employee hostage for hours while naked is in substance abuse treatment after a plea deal.
Charles Randall, who was sentenced this week, pleaded to burglary and indecent exposure. The plea led to a suspended sentence and substance abuse treatment in Chehalis for Randall.
Tami Ball, the victim, called the deal a slap in the face.
"It didn’t matter what I said," a tearful Ball told FOX 13 News. "It essentially fell on deaf ears, and the county is going to get away with everything they did."
Inside the Snohomish County Courthouse, Ball laid out a list of grievances with both the responding deputies, the prosecuting attorney and the victim advocate assigned to her case during her victim impact statement.
According to Ball, she was forced to give a statement to police before being released, immediately following the end of the hostage situation.
When she attempted to revise her statement through the Prosecutor’s Office, Ball alleges that she was threatened with perjury. The Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office denies that happened.
"They wanted impact—well, I used to be happy," she said, moments after the ruling came down. "I used to feel safe. I don’t know anymore. I used to trust the justice system, and they just proved to me that it used to be that nobody is above the law. Now, it’s just nobodies like me that are held to the law."
Randall’s attorney told the court that he was a life-long alcoholic, and that his withdrawals the day of the incident had gotten so bad that he was hallucinating.
According to documents obtained by FOX 13 News, deputies had been at Randall’s home hours before he entered the Gold Bar Family Grocer with a handgun.
Randall had been hallucinating, which led police to his home following 911 calls. They noted in reports that they left Randall with a friend because they did not believe he met the criteria for an involuntary commitment.
A short time later, he appeared inside the Gold Bar Family Grocer without pants on and holding a gun. He ran into a backroom where Ball was counting cash and kept her inside the backroom while the rest of the store was evacuated.
Back in January, Ball was hopeful that Randall would get the help that he needed to better himself.
When she began to hit brick walls and learned that he was likely going to get a short sentence, her mood changed quickly.
Initially held in court for kidnapping, the charge was amended to a burglary charge.
Ball said her victim advocate was difficult to reach, and that the attorney assigned to the case didn’t want to hear from her.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Gold Bar Family Grocer hostage suspect surrenders; no injuries to victim
In a written statement to FOX 13, the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said that they were in regular contact with the victim and that they valued Ball’s input, but ultimately had an obligation to file charges consistent with what they could prove in court.
The full statement reads as follows:
"The assigned Deputy Prosecutor and Victim Advocate were in regular communication with the victim throughout the pendency of this case. They met with her and spoke to her on the telephone on multiple occasions and took those opportunities to listen to her, to answer her questions, and to explain the process and the charging decision. While we value input from victims and endeavor to make decisions that align with their wishes, we have an overriding ethical obligation to refrain from filing charges that we do not believe we can prove. This case was charged in a manner consistent with that obligation, and the charge was ultimately amended (to a more serious offense) in order to obtain a lifetime no-contact order for the victim, to ensure that the defendant’s right to possess a firearm was revoked for life, and to see the defendant subject to a longer term of supervision once released from custody.
"As to the victim’s claim that the Deputy Prosecutor threatened to charge her with perjury, that is simply not true."
The statement noted that they upheld their obligations, adding: "The charge was ultimately amended (to a more serious offense) in order to obtain a lifetime no-contact order for the victim, to ensure that the defendant’s right to possess a firearm was revoked for life, and to see the defendant subject to a longer term of supervision once released from custody."
Randall apologized in court, explaining that he’d hit rock bottom. He called his actions "embarrassing, humiliating, and dreadful," while explaining that he couldn’t imagine how frightened anyone that came in contact with him would have been.
His lawyer stated that he was trying to get sober after a lifetime of drinking, and that his attempt to detox on his own led to Ball being held hostage. He was released to his social worker on Thursday to get on a train heading to a substance abuse program.
Ball, meanwhile, said she had to leave her job. After failing to obtain Paid Family and Medical Leave for her trauma she quit her job, unable to continue to work at the Gold Bar Family Grocer over security concerns. As a result, she lost her medical insurance and ability to obtain mental health services.
"I feel like everyone has let me down," she said, standing next to her husband.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Ball or her husband. In January, immediately following the incident the couple seemed relieved and energetic. Months later, after a prolonged battle with the legal system, they are angry with the justice system and appear to be different people.